![]() ![]() The rumors also reached the press box where a number of correspondents, including Hugh Fullerton of the Chicago Herald and Examiner and the ex-player and manager Christy Mathewson, who resolved to compare notes on any plays and players that they felt were questionable. ![]() Even before the Series started on October 1st there were rumors amongst the gambling community that things were not square, and the influx of money saw the odds on Cincinnati fall rapidly. ![]() A shady character named Rachie Brown served as the go-between between Rothstein and the conspirators. Before the Series, both Sullivan and Burns or Maharg approached the wealthy New York gambler Arnold Rothstein to provide the money for the players, who were promised a total of $100,000. According to the testimonies of Burns and Maharg at the 1921 trial, Jackson did not attend any of the pre-Series meetings where the fix was discussed, although he did receive $5,000 at some point during the Series. It is generally agreed by historians and Black Sox researchers that Weaver took himself out of the fix before the Series began, and it is certain that he received no money from the gamblers. Gandil, Cicotte and six other teammates - pitcher Claude "Lefty" Williams, outfielders "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and Oscar "Happy" Felsch, and infielders Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver and Fred McMullin - were involved in the fix, although their levels of involvement varied by player. At the time, gambling on baseball was rife and there were many stories about fixed games during the regular season, which were typically ignored by team owners and administrators. During the regular season, the Chicago White Sox had shown themselves to be the best team in the major leagues and, having clinched the American League pennant, were installed as the bookmakers' favorites to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the Series. These two gambling cliques were approached sometime between July-September 1919 by White Sox first baseman Arnold "Chick" Gandil and/or pitcher Eddie Cicotte. One involved Boston gambler Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, while another included retired pitcher "Sleepy" Bill Burns and his partner, Billy Maharg, a former professional boxer. While the origins of the conspiracy are unknown, it appears that there were two (or more) separate plans to "fix" the World Series. The Scandal The Backstory of the Great Conspiracy
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |